Syrias cessation of hostilities appears to be on theverge of collapseas government forces launched an attack on rebel positions north of Aleppo. The Washington Postwrites that a surge in fighting across Syria on Thursday signaled the apparent collapse of a landmark cease-fire that has been under mounting stress in recent days because of intensifying assaults by government forces and rebels. Backed by Russian airstrikes, Syrian government attacks around Aleppo have been increasing in recent days, targeting rebel supply lines. Syrian media reported that government forces had seized the northern part of the Handarat Camp, which oversees supply lines into the city. Reuters adds that fighting near Aleppo has been escalating for two weeks, mostly to the south of the city where government forces backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other militias have been waging fierce battles with rebels including Nusra Front fighters.

The surge in violence across Syria continues to threaten the peace talks which resumed earlier this week in Geneva, but it is unclear how the uptick in violence near Aleppo will impact the talks as both sides continue to blame each other for ceasefire violations. Representatives of the Syrian government met with a UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura for the first time, proposing amendments to the list of fundamental principles guiding the discussions. One government representative called the meeting constructive and fruitful.

Meanwhile, intense fighting between rebel forces and Islamic State militants has prompted a new wave of refugees attempting to flee the violence. As Syrian rebels, supported by U.S. airpower and Turkish artillery, attempt to regain the territory held by ISIS near the Turkish border, the intensified fighting has caused over 30,000 people to flee the area in the last 48 hours, the Wall Street Journaltells us. The exodus was largely caused after Islamic State militants opened fire on communities that had sheltered them, according to the Guardian. The Journal cites one American official who said that the rebel initiative to regain the territory is part of the U.S. strategy to isolate the Islamic States de facto capital, Raqqa.

After the announcement from earlier this week that U.S. forces were using cyber bombs to increase pressure on the Islamic State, CNN reports that the military has deployed a squadron of Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft capable of attacking ISIS’s ability to communicate closer to the front lines of the battle against the terrorist group. CNN writes that while the Pentagon won’t spell out their mission specifically, the Prowlers could be used to jam cell phone signals and other devices used to trigger roadside bombs, or to interrupt radio broadcasts used to distribute ISIS propaganda.

Over in Afghanistan, the United States haslaunchedover 70 airstrikes against the Islamic State in the country since the Obama AdministrationgrantedU.S. forces the legal authority to target the militant group nearly three months ago. Military estimates have put the total number of Islamic State militants in Afghanistan between 1000 and 3000, but military spokesman Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cleveland told Pentagon officials yesterday that that number was closer to the lower estimate after U.S. operations against the group. Despite the apparent success against the group in Afghanistan, the Washington Postnotes that the strikes against the Islamic State in Nangahar have done little to improve security in other parts of the country especially as the Taliban continues to pose a significant threat.

That said, just days after announcing their spring offensive, the Taliban launcheda major offensive to retake the city of Kunduz, which the group seized briefly late last year before being pushed out by Afghan security forces. Reuters writes that fighting broke out on Thursday in six districts in Kunduz province, a crucial northern stronghold close to the Tajikistan border, as well as around the provincial capital, with Afghan security forces battling militants through the night.

Turning to Yemen, Yemeni forces backed by the Saudi-led coalitionregainedthe city of Houta from al Qaeda militants. The local al Qaeda affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has taken advantage of the ongoing civil conflict to gain territory. Reuters reports that U.S. officials are considering supporting the United Arab Emirates push against the militant group, writing that the UAE has asked for U.S. help on medical evacuation and combat search and rescue as part of a broad request for American air power, intelligence and logistics support. Elsewhere in the country, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb which struck Aden with no casualties.

As the conflicts in Syria and Yemen continue, Reuters tells us that officials from over 50 Muslim states accused Iran on Friday of supporting terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of regional states including Syria and Yemen.” Leaders from 57 Muslim countries including Iran met in Turkey at a summit for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). An OIC communique states that the Conference deplored Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of the States of the region and other Member States including Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia, and its continued support for terrorism.

Turning to the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Ash Cartervisiteda U.S. carrier sailing in the region as part of his six day trip to India and the Philippines. Aboard the USS John C. Stennis, Carter said that what’s new is not an American carrier in this region but rather the context of tension which exists which we want to reduce. Carters visit to the region came as U.S. forces finished up an eleven day training exercises with their Philippine counterparts. The two countries have also begun joint patrols in the region.

Concurrently, Chinas defense ministry reported today that Gen. Fan Changlong, the countrys most senior commander, visited the South China Seas disputed Spratly Islands, the New York Timeswrites. The Times notes that although the details made public about General Fans visit were sparse, his visit to the area appeared intended to show Chinas determination to ward off any challenges to its claims over the islands, which are also the subject of claims by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan. China calls them the Nansha Islands.

North Korea attempted to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile in defiance of U.N. sanctions and in an embarrassing setback for leader Kim Jong Un, drawing criticism from major ally China, Reuters tells us. The country has continued to develop its missile program despite increasing UN sanctions, much to the displeasure of its neighbor China. A Chinese state media source wrote that the firing of a mid-range ballistic missile on Friday by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), though failed, marks the latest in a string of saber-rattling that, if unchecked, will lead the country to nowhere, while a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that we hope all parties can strictly respect the decisions of the Security Council and avoid taking any steps that could further worsen tensions.

The Washington Postreported that the FBI has not found links to foreign terrorists on the recently-cracked iPhone from the San Bernardino case but is continuing to analyze the phone for other information which could further the ongoing investigation. The Post writes that one cellphone forensics expert said that if the bureau hasnt found anything significant by now, it is unlikely to find anything highly useful at this point.

Despite previously rejecting plea deals, Adnan Farah, suspect in an ISIS-related Minnesota case,changedhis plea to guilty. Farah told the court that he was attracted to ISIS after he watched more than 100 of its propaganda videos, which showed children asking for help, ISIS handing out food aid to Muslims in Syria and jihadists fighting the Syrian government forces and that he was influenced by the videos and lectures of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American firebrand who preached jihad but also lectured on Islam.

As counterterrorism operations expand in Europe in the wake of the Brussels attacks, British officials announced that they had arrested at least five people. While no details on their identities or charges have been revealed, the Postwrites that a police official told reporters that the arrests were made in coordination with French and Belgian security agencies. The Post adds that British media, citing police sources, have reported that at least two suspects linked to the Paris and Brussels attacks traveled last year to Birmingham in central Britain and took photographs of various sites, including a soccer stadium.

Also from Britain, the Guardiantells us that British security officials have launched an effort to take down online material used by Islamic State recruiters in efforts to reduce the impact of ISIS recruiters online. According to figures released by British police today, Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit is on course to remove 100,000 items, having already taken down 26,000 pieces of internet content in the first quarter of this year. Despite their efforts, the figures suggest a massive increase in extremist material online.

Elsewhere in Europe, Belgians transportation ministerstepped downafter being accused of ignoring security lapses at the Zaventem airport on the eve of the attacks in Brussels. Minister Jacqueline Galant denied having seen a report of security lapses in Belgium’s airports which had been identified by EU inspectors in 2015 but later resigned after government officials suggested that the report had been discussed. The BBC, citing Belgian media sources, notes that Galants departure does not change the fact that the entire government’s reputation on security appears to be in tatters.

As Europe attempts to step up its security measures, the European Parliamentapproveda law which would make the personal and credit-card data of all air travelers coming into and leaving the EU accessible to national police and intelligence services for up to five years. According to the Wall Street Journal, the legislation, known as the Passenger Name Record, was initially proposed five years ago but was put on hold over privacy concerns. Under renewed pressure by several EU governments, a number of measures intended to bolster counterterrorism initiatives across the bloc have been proposed or approved by European lawmakers since the attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Microsoftfileda suit against the government over a federal statute which prohibits the company from telling customers when federal investigators obtained a warrant to their access private communications. According to the Post, Microsoft claims that the Justice Department is abusing the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which allows authorities to obtain court orders requiring it to turn over customer files stored on its servers, while in some cases prohibiting the company from notifying the customer and suggests that non-disclosure orders violate its constitutional right to free speech, as well as its customers protection against unreasonable searches. The suit is not in relation to a specific case but intended to challenge the legal process regarding secrecy orders, writes the Times.

CBS News tells us that the ACLU filed a lawsuit claiming the Bureau of Prisons has wrongfully withheld documents related to a secret CIA prison in Afghanistan known interchangeably by its nickname, The Salt Pit, and its code name, COBALT. An earlier ACLU request for files relating to a 2002 inspection of COBALT, described in the 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee torture report, was denied by the Bureau of Prisons, which claimed that no files existed on the visit. After an appeal of that response was rejected, Carl Takei, the attorney who filed the request, said it seems implausible that a domestic prison agency would send personnel to a war zone to inspect a detention site, and provide recommendations, but keep absolutely no record of the excursion.

TheMiami Herald reportsthat the Guantánamo parole board denied the prisons oldest detainee release, citing his past involvement in terrorist activities and ties to al Qaeda. Saifullah Paracha, a 68-year-old businessman from Pakistan, was detained in Bangkok in a sting orchestrated by the FBI in 2003. His lawyers suggest that their client “cannot show ‘remorse’ for things he maintains he never did.” Declaring him too dangerous for release, the board pointed to Parachas refusal to take responsibility for his involvement with al-Qaida, his refusal to distinguish between legitimate and nefarious business contacts, and his role in facilitating financial transactions and travel and developing media for al-Qaida.

Parting Shot: Russian President Vladimir Putin answered Russian questions in the Q&A style, biannual “Direct Line.” In the just under four hour Q&A, Putin answered questions about his romantic life, the Panama Papers, world leaders, and Syria among other topics. Foreign Policy has the highlights here.

Cuba’s ruling Communist Party is expected to announce a series of economic and political reforms next week that it hopes to put in place as the country prepares for the end of the Castros’ rule in 2018.

The proposals will be announced at the party’s seventh conference, which starts on Sunday. But their content and scope remain a mystery to all but a few senior leaders of the party. While the policy review that preceded the last party conference, in 2011, included broad debate by rank-and-file party members, this time top officials have not shared information with them or solicited their views.

This surreptitious approach is shortsighted at a time of change and rising discontent. Ordinary Cubans, including those who are critical of the Communist Party, should have a say in how the country will be run and by whom, without fear of reprisal and persecution.

For many Cubans, the island’s languishing economy is the most pressing issue. In 2011, party leaders promised to overhaul the centrally planned economy, but they have moved too slowly in opening up the country to foreign investment and allowing a private sector to take root. The main obstacle has been the Cuban military, which has long exercised monopoly control over large segments of the economy, creating an oligarchy in uniform that is reluctant to spread the wealth.

“If the state monopoly is not dismantled, nothing they do will work,” Pavel Vidal, a prominent Cuban economist who is now based in Colombia, said in an interview. “Cuba’s greatest asset is a well-educated population, but it must do more to reap the benefits of that.”

The type of transformative changes many Cubans yearn for will require a visionary leader. But it remains unclear who will lead the country when Raúl Castro — who became president after his brother Fidel became ill in 2008 — steps down in 2018. Also uncertain is whether ordinary Cubans will have a say in the new government.

The probable successor, Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, has offered few clues about how he would govern. His relatively low profile has led to speculation that he would be a far less powerful president than either of the Castro brothers. Cuba analysts think it is likely that Raúl Castro’s son, Alejandro Castro, who was the main contact in secret talks with the Obama administration that led to normalization of relations with the United States, will continue to wield considerable power behind the scenes.

Last year, the Cuban government said it was updating its electoral law. That process, which has been shrouded in secrecy, fed hopes that the country’s Communist leaders could be contemplating a more democratic system.

“If they embrace true economic reforms and start a process that improves the situation of civil and political rights, many Cubans would be willing to forget the harm they have caused to date and the historical judgment will be much less severe,” José Daniel Ferrer, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, the largest dissident group on the island, said in an email.

If reforms continue at a glacial pace, young Cubans will keep fleeing the island in droves, fueling a exodus that has become a referendum of sorts.

Hit with $131 billion worth of budget cuts and a force reduction of 30,000, the Marine Corps is being stretched to its limits, Fox News reported Thursday.

After 15 years of hard service, hard fighting, and deploying around the world, we dont have enough airplanes in the fly line to make sure that the Marines are ready to go, said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis.

Due to budget cuts and the departure of well-trained mechanics to the private sector, young Marines have had to work double-time, assuming the role of mechanic themselves.

My Marines are working 20 to 21 hours a day to get [the planes] ready to go on deployment, said Lt. Col. Matthew Brown, adding that he was worried about the safety risks associated with such a high workload.

The likelihood of a ground mishap or them making a mistake late at night, and the pressure to perform, is really where I see the bigger safety risk, Brown said.

The cuts have also impacted fly time, slashing it almost four times.

These last 30 days, our average flight time per pilot was just over four hours, said Lt. Col. Harry Thomas. The average flying time was once 15 hours per monthand building planes is not in the job description, he said.

Were an operational squadron, were supposed to be flying jets, not building them, Thomas said. One pilot told Fox News that Chinese and Russian pilots receive more fly time.

In addition, the planes that the Marines are fixing are themselves outdated and pushed to their breaking point after long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Faced with a delay to the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter model meant to replace the years-old F/A-18 Hornet jet, the Marine Corps has had to make due with the F/A-18, cannibalizing parts for a plane that has not been produced since 2001.

Sgt. Argentry Uebelhoer described the restoration process as fruitless.

Imagine taking like a 1995 Cadillac and trying to make it a Ferrari. Youre trying to make it faster, more efficient, but its still an old airframe so the aircraft is constantly breaking, Sgt. Uebelhoer said.

On some occasions, the Marines have had to wait 18 months to replace parts for the F-18, and, despite being restored, are still being used 2,000 hours past expiration.

Its very, very old to be flying for an aircraft, said Maj. Michael Malone. These aircraft were designed to fly for 6,000 hours.

Lt. Col. Brown lamented the sacrifice he was asking for from his Marines, considering the safety risks they faced, from exhaustion to outdated planes.

You can look a young Marine in the eye and at some point say, Hey, I want you to do one more for America and apple pie, and at some point you know, that gets old, Brown said.

FBI appoints new CIO from withinFedScoop
The FBI has asked for an additional $38.3 million in the 2017 budget to fund anti-encryption technology and research more than doubling last year’s $31 million request to nearly $70 million. They are also asking for $85 million for the bureau’s …

»Today’s Headlines and Commentary
16/04/16 08:35 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Lawfare – Hard National Security Choices. Syria’s cessation of hostilities appears to be on the verge of collapse as government forces launched an attack on rebel positions north of Aleppo. The Washi…

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16/04/16 13:13 from Voice of America
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is fighting for survival as the Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote Sunday on a motion to impeach her. The opposition has alleged that Rousseff’s administration broke the law by shifting government …

»Meet CNN Hero Luma Mufleh
16/04/16 13:12 from CNN.com
Since 2004, Luma Mufleh and her nonprofit, the Fugees Family, have provided a community of support for hundreds of refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia.

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Anthony Bourdain says this city in France is one of the most under-rated destinations. “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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14/04/16 19:27 from World News Review – The World Web Times
LINKS Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks How should US respond to Russia’s air provocations? – YouTube mikenova shared this story . Published on Apr 14, 2016 Reaction from the ‘Special Report’ All-Star panel Obama…

Late-night hosts discussed the president’s feud with George Conway and reviewed the long list of 2020 candidatesLate-night hosts took aim at the president’s Twitter feud with Kellyanne Conway’s husband and summarised the state of the 2020 race.Tweet Fighter: Kellyanne’s Husband vs. Kellyanne’s Boss pic.twitter.com/dYyDxfQy4Z Related: Trevor Noah on Boeing: ‘How was a self-crashing plane allowed […]